Portable travel and support pillows have been in existence for some time and have been used in a variety of applications. Some of these devices are specifically crafted to attach the provided support to a user's head, whether it is by attaching the device to another stationary object such as a car seat or fitting the device over one's head to provide a snug and close support. However, many times, these devices are only made with universal fitment in mind and do not consider the different levels of desired comfort a particular individual may have. In addition, many of these devices are only concerned with providing support for a user's heads, and do not take into consideration the close extremities that are oftentimes victims of improper sleeping, such as one's neck and shoulders.
An example of a support device is shown in U.S. Patent No. 2009/0206646 A1, published Aug. 20, 2009, which describes a portable support including a pillow that is particularly for positioning against the head of a person when traveling on an airplane, train, bus, or automobile. Another example of a support device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,185 B1, published Aug. 28, 2001, which describes a support pillow that is suitable for placement around an object and that may be expanded when placed about an object and then returned to its original shape following removal from the object. Yet another example of a support device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,964, published on Sep. 28, 1971, which describes a pillow unit for use with a seat back, particularly the back of a passenger seat in a vehicle.
Furthermore, car seats that are made for infants and children are notoriously uncomfortable. In turn, children are prone to letting their parents know they are uncomfortable, which leads to distracted driving. Many of the car seats today do not mold to the child's body properly, and thus do not provide the request level of support. This can lead to the aforementioned discomfort.
An example of such a car seat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,629, published Jun. 26, 1990, which describes an infant car seat that is reclinable and rotatable and adapted to mount atop a standard automobile seat. Another example of such a car seat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,600, published Feb. 16, 1971, which describes an infant car seat of the safety padded type that is anchored to the automobile seat by use of the conventional automobile safety belts. Yet another example of such a car seat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,151 B2, published on Jun. 21, 2005, which describes a juvenile booster car seat that folds compactly for easy transportation.
As such, a need exists for a new and improved support pillow, one that allows individuals to customize the type of pillow used within the support device to allow for a more customized feel, and that also provides support for an individual's neck and shoulders to prevent against unwarranted neck pains and potential injuries.